Vehicle doors are equipped with door hardware such as windows, window guides, window opening and closing assemblies, door latches and locks, sound system speakers and controls for the various accessories. These components are inserted into conventional doors with inner door panels and an outer skin through various small apertures. Each piece of door hardware is inserted in a predetermined order and secured in place by various mechanical fasteners. The positions of some of the parts are adjusted after other hardware parts are inserted into the space between the inner door panel and the outer door skin. This assembly process is time consuming, difficult and requires dexterity and skill.
These conventional doors may be assembled after the doors are secured to the main body of a vehicle. Assembly that occurs after attachment to a vehicle body occurs on an assembly line with the door moving.
Functional testing of the door hardware and door mounted controls can not be completed until the door is mostly complete. If a defective part was secured in place inside the door, it has to be removed, replaced and then retested. The removal and replacement of some hardware must wait until a vehicle is moved from an assembly line. Removal and replacement of defective parts after a vehicle leaves an assembly line is time consuming, requires skilled workers and is expensive.